Season on the Brink
"Alright guys," Paige clapped her hands as she watched her team scrimmage on the court. There were only two practices left before their first game, and she felt a calming sense of security as she watched Nathan take a three-point shot. They were good. Damn good. And they were ready to take on all challengers.
"Nice work," she clapped, blowing her whistle to signal a slow down. "Take a knee," she instructed, walking around the line they had formed behind the center line. "Nice hustle out there, Tim," she complimented. "Free throws are on fire, Lucas. Shoulder feelin' alright?" He nodded and she moved on. "Your defense is really improving, Nathan. Nice work."
She was about to announce her starting line up for the first game when the gym doors clanked open. Turning, she smiled slightly. She wasn't surprised that they were there. The only shocking thing about Dan Scott crashing her party was the fact that he had waited so long to do it. Flanked by six other men, she was sure that he was trying to be intimidating.
She crossed her arms and waited for them to reach her team. Without a word, her assistants moved from the back of the group to her sides, ready to assist in the battle if they were needed. "This practice is closed to the public, gentlemen."
"Well, it's a good thing we aren't the public then, isn't it, Sweetheart?" Dan asked with a smug grin as he stopped on the other side of the center line from the new coach.
"Jason?" She reached toward the assistant at her left, who only handed her a clip board and re-crossed his arms. Looking over the paper in front of her, she glanced at Dan with a smile. "The rule is that only the names on my roster are allowed inside this gym during practice hours." Turning it toward Dan, she raised an eyebrow. "And since I'm looking at the list of this year's players, and not one from 1985, I think it's safe to say you're not on it." A few chuckles arose from the players behind her, but Paige silenced them with the mere motion of her shoulders. "I trust you can show yourselves out."
"Oh, we could," Dan conceded. "But we're not going to. At least not alone." Holding a hand out, he motioned to his sons. "Nathan. Lucas. Let's go."
Lucas laughed out loud, while Nathan just squared his jaw and shook his head. "Just go, Dad. We've got practice to get back to."
"Tim, come on," Mr. Smith ordered to Tim, while the other fathers gave similar orders to their sons.
When no one budged, Dan chuckled cynically. "Oh, so you're just going to stand there and hide behind your coach's skirt?" he asked, his eyes narrowed at Nathan as he addressed the entire group of young men.
"Ah," Paige nodded. "I was wondering how long it would take you to whip the caveman bull shit out. So that's how you wanna play, huh?" She turned to Dustin, the assistant on her right. "Can you go to my office and get the ruler please?" Turning her eyes back to Dan, she lost the smile. "That way we can all drop our pants and play 'who's is bigger?' like real men, right?"
"You always use language like that in front of the kids?" Dan asked with a cocky raise of his eyebrow.
"The kids," she emphasized the word, "understand that greatness is not dictated by gender. Unlike you, gentlemen, and I use that term loosely, they have evolved beyond the days where the men hunt and gather and the women stay home, all barefoot and pregnant. Do they get a little distracted by these sometimes?" she asked, gripping both of her breasts in her hands. "Sure, they do. They're men." Dragging her eyes from one man to the next until she had scrutinized each of them, she dropped her hands. "But that's more than I can say for you," she said in disgust.
For a split second, Dan looked stunned, but he recovered quickly, clapping his hands at the show she had just put on. "Clearly, you don't realize just who you're messing with, Paige." The way he slurred her name made her skin crawl, and he picked up on it instantly.
"Dad, can you please just go," Nathan pleaded, praying that this torture would just end soon. Part of him worried that Dan would push Paige too far, and that the team would pay the price.
"Stay out of this Nathan," Dan spat.
Looking over her shoulder, Paige smiled at him. "Yeah, Nathan, stay out of this. It has nothing to do with you." Turning back, she shook her head. "Except that it should have everything to do with him. But it doesn't, does it, Dan? It never does. Never has anything to do with Nathan. Or Lucas. Or any of these kids. It's all about you, isn't it? Always has been." She turned her back on the fathers in front of her and faced her team. "Anybody who agrees with your fathers, who doesn't think that I have any business running this team? Anybody who wants out? Here's your free pass out. Go on."
As the young men in front of her crossed their arms, she felt a sense of pride welling up inside her. For whatever reason they had chosen to stand behind her, they were united now. They were her team. And it didn't matter what Dan Scott or anyone else said.
"I think your sons have made their decision, gentleman." She looked to her left and her right, smiling at her assistants. "Can you show our biggest athletic supporters out?"